Relief-valve for steam fire-engines



, (No Model.)

A. MAYER.

RELIEF VALVE FOR STEAM FIRE ENGINES.

No, 398,841. Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

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ALVARADO MAYER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RELIEF-VALVE FOR STEAM FIRE=ENG|NES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,841, dated March 5, 1889. Application filed September Q7, 1888 Serial No. 286,545. (No model.

To coZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVARADO MAYER, of E Detroit, in the county of \Yayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Iniprovelnents in Relief-Valves for Steam Fire- Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of reliefvalves in which the pr ssure to be relieved operates the relieving-valve, and in which the water passing through the relief-valve is returned to the suction of the pump or engine.

The object of my invention is to render the action of the valve relieving the pressure holding down the relief-valve positive and simultaneous with the action of the piston with a passage, 11, opening over the orifice c governed by the spring.

It consists in placing the valve relieving the pressure holding down the relief-valve on the piston-rod of the piston moved by the pressure to be relieved and controlled by the spring on the graduated piston-rod.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my valve. Fi 2 is a side elevation thereof.

In the drawings, A represents a horizontal water-way, which may be screwed to one of the gates of a fire-engine or pump. its outer end being screw-threaded or fitted with a compressioncoup1ing for connecting the hose thereto. communicating therewith, rises a cylinder, 13,

From the top of the water-way, and I the graduated valve-stem R projects.

whose upper portion, 8, is enlarged in diam- I eter and closed with a cap, ll. of the cylinderB is an aperture, C, which terininates in the pipe 0, which is screw-threaded to engage with the pipe E, which returns to the suction of the pump. A valve seat, a, is formed in the lower section of the cylinder B just below the aperture C, on which is seated the relief-valve E, which may have guidewiugs, as shown in Fig. 1. F is extended into the upper enlarged portion, I3, of the cylinder B, and forms the piston F which works in the enlarged portion B of the cylinder, and is of slightly larger diameter than the relief-valve E. An orifice,

e, is opened vertically through the relief-valve F and the piston F, and is covered at its The relief-valve On the side lower opening by the perforated pipe or strainerf, which prevents any clogging by sticks or chips of the orifice c. \l'hen the engine is at work and the water is passing through the water way, it also passes up through the orifice 6 into the enlarged portion of the cylinder :3, and, the piston F being of a larger diameter than the reliefwalve F, the pressure on the piston forces the relief-valve down upon its seatand retains it there until the pressure on the piston is relieved. The piston F properly packed to prevent leakage, &c.

The cap B has an annular flange, D, at its center on the inner side, which is internally screw-tapped to receive the screw-stem II, by which the extent of the movement of the piston F and the relief valve F is governed. The screw-stem H is provided at its lower end and passing out at the side. A gland, G, through which the screw-stem H passes, is tapped in the center of the cap B. This gland confines to its position the cap I,\vhich covers the circle of perforations b I) through the cap B. A pipe, J, leads from the cap I to the valve-chamber P in the cylinder K.

K is a small cylinder supported upon the cylinder B by any suitable connection. The cylinder K is in its upper portion interiorly screw-threaded to engage with the screw on the exterior of the cap K.

O is an orifice in the cap K through which S is a spring coiled around the valve-stem R and resting at its lower end on the step .9 011 the valve stem and at its upper end against the cap K. The screwing down of the cap K compresses the spring, and the extent of the projection of the valve stem through the orifice 0 shows the number of pounds pressure exerted by the spring on the valvestem. The cap K is locked in place by the nut-lock L 011 the outside of the cap, which prevents the cap from being accidentally turned down to increase the pressure. The step 3 extends to the sides of the cylinder and is suitably packed top'rcvcnt leakage into the spring-chamber from the valve-chamber immediately below.

In is an orifice cut in the cylinder K to allow any water which may have leaked into the spring-chamber to escape.

P is a valve-chamber through which the valve-stem M passes. The valve N on the valve-stem R is seated at '11. P is an orifice cut in the under outer side of this chamber and has a waste-pipe, p, screwed into it. The valve-stem M passes through an aperture, 41, in the bottom of the cylinder K and. the chamber P and is provided with proper packin to prevent leakage.

\V is an annular flange on the lower end of the cylinder K, which is internally screwthreaded to receive the cylinder 1'. The lower end of the Valve-stem R projects into the cylinder and has a screw, m, cut on its end. The piston or valve R is screwed onto this screw on the valve-stem and works in the cylinder \V. The distance of this piston from its seat '2', which may be changed, as desired, by tnrnin g the piston up or down on the screw m, determines the extent of the opening of the valve N. uis an aperturcin the bottom of the cylinder V, in which is inserted, through a proper cap secured on the annular flange w, the pipe k. This pipe 10 leads to the cap U, which is seated on a projection, U, on the under side of the waterway.

An orifice, X, centrally in a vertical line with the center of the relief-valve F is made in the under part of the water-way and through the projection U, which is internally screw-threaded to receive the hollow gland X. The cavity 2 in the gland extends from its innerend nearly to its head, where it has two channels leading into the cap U. The inner end of the cavity is closed by a screw, and the portion of the gland projecting into the waterway is perforated, as at 19, so that the water passes freely through, the head of the gland holding the cap U firmly in position.

The operation of this valve is as follows: The spring S is adjusted to keep the valve N closed at any pressure less than onehundred pounds to the square inch on the piston-head. or valve R on its under surface. The valves F, F, and N will be closed. The engine being at work, the water passes through the waterway A into the hose, exerting an upward pressure under the relief-valve F and piston R and a'downward pressure on the piston F. Inasmuch as the piston F has a greater diameter than the relief-valve F, it is evident that the latter will be kept closed. Now if the cock in the hose-pipe at the end of the hose is closed the exit of the water from the hose will be shut off and the pressure in the hose and throughout the pi pcs will he suddenly increased, causing the piston R to lift, opening the valve N, which will allow the water above the piston F to flow away. This takes off the pressure from the piston F and the reliefvalve and allows the relief-valve to open. The water then passes through the relief-valve and out at the pipe E, and returns to the suction of the pump, and continues this course until the hose is opened and. the extra pressure taken oif.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of the cylinder \Y, suitably connected with the water-way A, the pressure-piston R,working in the cylinder \Y and secured on the piston-rod or valve-stem R, the-piston or valve seat '1', the piston-rod or valve-stem R, provided with the screw m, and carrying the piston R and valve N, and extending through the cylinder K and the cap K, the cylinder K, the cylinder-cap K, the valve-chamber P, with inlet and outlet pipes, the valve N, the valve-seat n, and the coiled spring S, substantially as shown and de scribed.

2. The combination of the water-way, the cylinder 13, containing the relief-valve F, the enlarged portion B of the cylinder B, containing the piston F onthe relief-valve F, the re lief-valve F and piston F, vertically perforated, the conduit from the relief-valve, the perforated cylinder-cap B,the cap I over the perforations in the cylinder-cap B, the gland G, holding in place the cap I, the screw-stem M, governing the relief-valve, the pipe J, leading from the cap I to the valve-chamberP in cylinder K, the small cylinder K, the valvechamber P and its outlet, the valve N in the small cylinder K, the graduated valve-stem R, the small cylinder-cap K, provided with an orifice for the passage of the graduated valve-stein R, the pressure-spring S, the piston R on foot of valve-stem R, the cylinder V, containing piston R, and the pipe 1;,leading from the cylinder WV to the water-way A, substantially as described.

ALVARADO MAYER. Witnesses:

JOHN SCHUMAN, TIMOTHY HICKLEY. 

